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Jerovetz Sweeps To Last Lap Win At Thunderhill
Sturgeon Bay, WI July 1, 2006 - Sean Jerovetz went from third to
first on the final corner to win a chaotic IMCA Modified headliner Saturday
night at the Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay.
The win was Jerovetz's first of the season, a trend followed by most divisions
on the night. Scott Pagels in the IMCA Stock Cars, Tony Everard in the 4
Cylinders and Ryan Eickert in the Bombers all captured their first wins of
2006. Breaking the trend were Aaron Thornton in the Street Stocks, who
won for the fifth time, and Ed Anschutz, now a three-time winner in the IMCA
Hobby Stock point races.
The dramatic finish to the Modified feature capped a rugged race that saw no
less than seven cautions. Chris Derenne led early, winning a three-wide
battle for the lead at the initial drop of the green. Benji LaCrosse
entered the night as the point leader, and looked to be on the way to
extending that lead as he slipped into second on a lap four restart.
LaCrosse would take command just one lap later, with Jared Siefert
following. Yellow flags kept popping up, with the lead duo consistently
taking command when racing resumed. The worst incident happened at lap
10 as five cars, Derenne, Shawn Kilgore, Randy LeMieux, Art Siefert and Randie
Back, ended up slammed together in the first turn. Only Kilgore was done
for the night.
After a late caution, Jared Siefert took up the charge to the inside of
LaCrosse. The two were side by side at times, with Jerovetz following in
their wake. LaCrosse took the white flag as the leader, and held the
spot until they came to final corner. It was then that Jerovetz went for
the win. He popped to the extreme outside through three and four.
It was nearly three-wide as they headed out of the turn toward the flagstand.
As Jerovetz pulled ahead out of four, it turned into mayhem behind him as
LaCrosse was suddenly sideways in front of the charging pack. Cars
scattered in all directions as the checkers flew.
When the dust settled, it was Jerovetz clutching the trophy with Siefert
second. Dan Ratajczak had run in the top four most of the way, and
picked up third. Scott Boyea started in the last row and came through
the carnage for fourth. Jay Matthias and Todd Dart were scored next in
line, both rallying from the back after pit lane visits through the course of
the event.
Drama at the front of the pack came a little earlier in the contest for the
IMCA Stock Cars. Pagels took the lead early, only to lose it to Rick
Mahlberg at lap seven. Pagels kept the pressure on, with Mike Wietor,
B.J. Soquet and Charlie Kroll tight behind him. When Mahlberg went for a
slide in the third turn on lap 12, Pagels found himself back on top for good.
While he's won in other divisions, the victory was his first in an IMCA
sanctioned class. Pat Davister made a late charge to second, with Soquet,
Kroll, Wieter and Jeff Vlies rounding out the top six.
The Street Stocks turned in another sensational, but less controversial
finish. John Sternard took control from Thom Terrien on the second
lap. Sternard settled in on the bottom line, and looked to be headed to
a win until a late caution set up an unusual twist of fate.
Thornton was running the low line as well, with Scott Reinhardt to the
outside. The lap before the yellow, Reinhardt had edged into second,
meaning Reinhardt would be inside and Thornton outside for the restart.
Taken out of his preferred line, Thornton was forced to use the outside, which
turned out to be his ticket to the win as he passed Sternard on the final lap.
Without the caution, Thornton stays low and Sternard possibly wins.
Instead, he settled for second with Reinhardt third. Jeremy Wiitala,
Chilton regular Ryan Brandes and Von Eytcheson all carded top six runs.
A two car duel for the IMCA Hobby Stock win turned into a solo affair thanks
to Jeff Lautenbach's right tire. Lautenbach had motored to the outside
of Duane Mertens on the second lap, with Anschutz following three laps
later. The two broke free, but Anschutz, the state point leader, found
that taking the lead would be no easy task.
He could get no closer than two car-lengths until the 8th lap when Lautenbach
swerved high out of the racing groove with a flat right rear. From
there, it was Anschutz in a cake walk. He snapped Keith Kickbusch's
two-week win streak in the process. Kickbusch attained second late in
the contest and couldn't catch the leader, but his runner-up finish locked the
two in a tie for the division point lead.
Everard held off constant pressure from Kenny Malcore, Tom Zastrow and Jeff
Dubois en route to the 4 Cylinder win. Kip Burlo joined the lead
four-some late as the leaders crossed the line nose to tail.
Eickert's Bomber win came at the expense of Mike Jost, who he passed with just
three laps to go.
Saturday night, NAPA Auto Parts will sponsor the show. The Raceway's six
divisions will be in action along with the annual Powder Puff races. The
night will be capped off with fireworks. Racing starts each week at 6:00
PM. For more information, visit the track's website at www.racethunderhill.com.
Potawatomi Thunderhill Raceway Results 7/1/2006
IMCA Modified 20 Lap Feature
Sean Jerovetz, Little Suamico - Jared Siefert, Green Bay - Dan Ratajczak, Frog
Station - Scott Boyea, Abrams - Jay Matthias, DePere - Todd Dart, Algoma
Semi-Feature
Randy LeMieux, Jr, Sturgeon Bay - James Tebon, Algoma - Art Siefert, Green Bay
- Boyea
Heat 1
Tony Herbst, Sturgeon Bay - Benji LaCrosse, Luxemburg
Heat 2
Jerovetz - Dave Zeitler, Luxemburg
Heat 3
Chris Derenne, Luxemburg - Bill LeMieux, Sturgeon Bay
IMCA Stock Car 18 Lap Feature
Scott Pagels, Egg Harbor - Pat Davister, Luxemburg - B.J. Soquet, Luxemburg -
Charlie Kroll, Forestville - Mike Wietor, Green Bay - Jeff Vlies, Kewaunee
Semi-Feature
Todd Polster, Baileys Harbor - Dave Davister, Luxemburg - Craig Paque, Algoma
- Dave Bouche, Algoma
Heat 1
Rick Mahlberg, Denmark - Matt Junio, Casco
Heat 2
Shawn Havel, Brussels - Vlies
Heat 3
Wietor - Kroll
Street Stock 15 Lap Feature
Aaron Thornton, Maplewood - John Sternard, Green Bay - Scott Reinhardt,
Baileys Harbor - Jeremy Wiitala, Green Bay - Ryan Brandes, Brillion - Von
Eytcheson, Forestville
Heat 1
Eytcheson - Jesse Behnke, Brillion
Heat 2
Thornton - Brandes
IMCA Hobby Stock 15 Lap Feature
Ed Anschutz, Algoma - Keith Kickbusch, Kewaunee - Duane Mertens, Luxemburg -
Marcus Moede, Casco - Brandon Peterson, Sturgeon Bay - Roger LaViolette,
Forestville
Heat
Mertens - Anschutz
4 Cylinder 12 Lap Feature
Tony Everard, Green Bay - Ken Malcore, Milwaukee - Jeremy DuBois, Sturgeon Bay
- Tom Zastrow, Sturgeon Bay - Kip Burlo, Sturgeon Bay - Nick Everard, Green
Bay
Heat
Zastrow - Tony Everard
Bomber Feature
Ryan Eickert, Brillion - Rob Waechter, Jr, Ellisville - Dan Merkle, Egg Harbor
- Mike Jost, Sturgeon Bay - Brian Belleau, Algoma
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